Something simple for the deceased

Last night, I was with Rinpoche when I heard that my friend’s mom was passing away. I had arranged for my friend to call Pastor Yek Yee to help him with the final rites. Rinpoche heard and immediately came out with this wonderful and simple prayer to Kuan Yin/Avalokiteshvara. It seems my friend had a particularly strong affinity with Kuan Yin. What’s beautiful is that the instructions came from the Dalai Lama himself. Life is so fragile and fortunately, there are prayers and rites that we can do to help the deceased along into the hereafter…

Dear friends,

When a loved one or pet passes, it is a distressing time. We want to do the best for them and their onward journey after they have left their corporeal form. Yet sometimes we don’t know what to do, how to do and maybe cannot afford it. But we still want the best. We can invite sangha and others to recite prayers or we can do our own or both. There are many special things we can do to benefit the deceased. Too numerous to mention here. So for now this will suffice.

Three decades back a beloved uncle had passed in Howell, New Jersey and at the same time His Holiness the Dalai Lama was visiting nearby New York City, two hour drive away. So our family had secured an audience with His Holiness. Being that family members did not know extensive rites and rituals His Holiness recommended we offer one butterlamp daily to Avalokitesvara on our shrine, gather together and recite Om Mani Peme Hung together 10 rosaries daily for 49 days and dedicate this to our uncle. If we do this earnestly and with trust in Avalokitesvara, it will benefit our uncle’s passage. Gratefully we did do as instructed and for 49 days. With this precious and simple advice, I elaborated slightly on the advice of His Holiness further for everyone who might need this. May this gentle and simple post be of most benefit to everyone and those you love who have passed.

Tsem Rinpoche

************

Supplication to the Merciful One

Simple compilation for people who wish to do the best they can for a deceased one but are limited in resources, knowledge or time but yet wish the utmost.

For a loved one that has passed, it will be good to do the following:

1. Have a picture or statue of Avalokitesvara erected and kept if at all possible. Placed small picture of loved one in front of this image of Avalokitesvara. No picture of the deceased is fine also.
2. Offer flowers, incense and light according to circumstances.
3. Offer light to a stupa or Buddha image 108 times or 108 lights. Can be done in one day or successive days slowly.

Then daily for 49 days remembering the deceased and wishing them and all beings well, recite:

Praise to Avalokitesvara
Highly venerated by all the Buddhas,
You accumulated all holy qualities, and
Were conferred the name Avalokiteshvara:
I prostrate to the always merciful one. 3x

Reciting the Long Mantra
NAMO RATNA TRAYAYA, NAMAH ARYA JANA SAGARA, VAIROCANA VY-UHA RAJAYA, TATHAGATAYA, ARHATE, SAMYAKSAM BUDDHAYA, NAMAH SARVA TATHAGATE-BHY-AH, ARHATE-BHY-AH, SAMYAK-SAM BUDDHE-BHY-AH, NAMAH ARYA AVALOKITE SHARAYA, BODHISATTVAYA, MAHASATTA-YA, MAHAKARUNIKAYA,
TADYATHA, OM DHARA DHARA, DHIRI DHIRI, DHURU DHURU, ITTI VATTE, CALE CALE, PRACALE PRACALE, KUSUME, KUSUME-VARE, ILI MILI, CITI JALAM, APANAYE SVAHA (3x)

Reciting the Six- Syllable Mantra
OM MANI PEME HUNG
(1 rosary or 3 rosaries or 10 rosaries per day)

Dedication
Due to these merits, may I quickly
Become the Great Compassionate One (Avalokitevara)
And place all migrating beings, without exception,
In that very state.

(It would be good to do the above daily for 49 days if possible or as much as you can from wherever you are.)

After 49 days, if we wish to continue daily as our personal prayers, that would be wonderful to continue this short and blessed prayer to the supreme Buddha of great compassion Avalokitesvara. We can do the same for a deceased/sick/dying pet also. It is a good to recite this mantra to our pets daily so they can hear it and plant imprints and also to those who are in the process of dying or near death.

Compiled by Tsem Rinpoche
Click on this link to download the high-resolution picture of Lord Avalokitesvara and other Buddhas/Bodhisattvas:
http://www.tsemrinpoche.com/tsem-tulku-rinpoche/downloads/buddha-images.html